The Flight of the Darkstar Dragon by Benedict Patrick

The Flight of the Darkstar Dragon is my first read by Benedict Patrick and was picked for the new indie/self-publishing book club formed on Twitter at The Book Trove. We’re hoping to shine some attention on independent books and authors. These books are picked totally at random and selected by vote amongst the group.

“Welcome to the Darkstar Dimension.”

Mention a book with dragons and I will most definitely sign up to read it. BRING ON ALL THE DRAGON TALES. (Heh, punz.) Add in a fabulous purple cover and I am SOLD. Seriously, this cover art is frakking amazing, I’m so impressed. In fact, all of Benedict Patrick’s books have gorgeous covers.

“The stars,” she said, lowering her voice so only the nearby officers could hear. “Does anyone recognise the stars?”

The Flight of the Darkstar Dragon follows Min, a young ship officer from New Windward recently put in charge of a crew that has somehow ended up in the wrong dimension. The crew are desperate to get home and tensions rise quickly.

The concept of this book was so intriguing to me and I dove headfirst into this story with wide eyes. It gave me similar to vibes to novels like A Wrinkle in Time or The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I love seeing different authors’ concepts of worlds, rifts and portals.

“Travellers to the Darkstar Dimension are not uncommon; the rifts continue to pull in people from other worlds.”

In this new dimension there’s a darkstar and a dragon that likes to encircle it. (So like, A REALLY BIG DRAGON, OKAY?) Min instantly realises she’s in over her head and has to deal with questions and confrontations from the rest of the ship’s crew. She also encounters a stranger with knowledge of the dimension and more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

“I’ve heard others say it’s like a world turned inside out, and we’re left floating on the inside, stuck in here, while everything else around us is mad.”

For those who love plot driven adventure fantasy stories without romance, this is definitely up your alley! And if you like books about dragons and rift worlds and strange planets with pink bubbles and fantastical creatures, definitely give this a try!